


If i'm to die, before i reach you

by Kolarov



Series: When Joe Sings. [1]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:46:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12060222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kolarov/pseuds/Kolarov
Summary: John takes Sergio to his favorite pub, Sergio meets an old friend of his.





	If i'm to die, before i reach you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blindbatalex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindbatalex/gifts).



Friday night it was, when John insisted to take Sergio to his favorite pub. Both weren't close friends but Sergio was new to the city and he had to say yes.

 

Both men climbed up into one of the tall chairs in front of a square mahogany table at the edge of the deck. Sergio folded his arms against the table, scratching his arm lightly. He was nervous in all the ways, meeting new people wasn't his favorite thing. But in a way, he found himself comfortable with his new neighbor, John. Who was an outgoing person, liked to make new friends and he was a good person really, since Sergio just moved to the city, he felt like he should've accepted John's invite; it was nice from him after all.

 

John ordered dark local beer and Sergio ordered the same, the atmosphere was bizarrely intimate between the two, they kept chatting till their drinks arrived.  
"So how do you find it here?" John asked, taking a sip from his glass with his blue, deep eyes glaring at Sergio's.

 

"Beautiful city, it's just, a bit hard for me you know, friends and family I mean"

 

"Yeah, I understand. Northern people are so nice; you'll definitely make a lot of friends here"  


 

"Hopefully" Sergio looked at John warmly. Around them, there were hundreds of warm conversations waiting to be told, friendly features all competing with the indie music that dominated the atmosphere. The crowds were mature; Sergio used to the young features of his old town's pub. Students from university the most part.  
"The beer is delicious" Sergio eyed the liquid and the golden glow of the glass-like cubes. He poked them with his finger to hear them jingle in the annoying silence. He raised his glass again to sip, and its keen taste tickled his throat.  


 

"Isn't it? Best in country" John smiled to his glass.  


 

"Thank you!" the bar-tender abruptly appeared in front of the two men, John jump-scared on his chair, glaring at the bar-tender's brown, wide eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you" he said again in a light accent, rubbing his nape.  


 

"It's fine, and yeah John is right, it's the best. Beer in the south tastes like nail polish remover" Sergio scoffed. The bar-tender chucked loudly. "Or at least what I thought it would taste like" he added in a faint voice and raised an eyebrow mockingly.  


 

"Hope you're fully entertained here, southern pal. Drinks on me then!" the bar-tender clapped his hands together, looking excitedly at the two, newly friends.  


 

"I'm supposed to pay!" John protested.  


 

"No need. Plus, you're an old customer of mine, glad to see you here again, John right?" John nodded, cheeks going red. "I'm Kyle, and you are?" Kyle stuck out a hand to shake John's and looked at Sergio intently.  


 

"Southern. The name is Sergio the Southern"  


 

"Aren't they all lovely?" Kyle looked at John, hands still together. John smiled, showing his white teeth and Kyle couldn't look away, he felt like he should go in a way or another, and it didn't feel right underneath. "Um, better be off now, hope you liked it here Mr. Bond" Kyle pulled his hand, scratching the back of his neck.  
"Thanks mate" Sergio waved with his glass and took another sip. "What a lad" he added, looking at the bar-tender's back.  


 

"Yeah," John lowered his head, shaking his glass in circles. "Oh its 11am now! Better come with me" John stood up out of the blue with his glass and dragged Sergio with him from his hand.  


 

"It's kind of a concert, that's what we call it, lucky that you're here" John grinned, while Sergio looked around the pub where the crowds gathered around the wooden, tiny stage. He smiled to John and folded his arms when a long figure appeared from behind the curtains, the lights were all off. The man sat on a chair and placed the guitar on his lap and there where the lights headed towards him. He slowly raised his arm to prevent the light from hurting his eyes; there was just silence, everyone used to it like that, like it was that small pub's ritual. He mumbled softly and tabbed three times on his guitar, Sergio shivered.  


 

"If I'm to die, before I reach you  
Please know I'm meant to love you till I did"  


 

The blonde started to sing and there was fire inside of Sergio's chest, like something dead had returned to life, but he didn't know why.  


 

"If I’m to slip beneath a train meant to take me  
Know that I believe that it was worth it"

The time Sergio recognized him, he didn't want to believe what he saw, but he couldn't lie to his eyes at the same time. It was him, the handsome Joe. Same deep, husky and low voice, yet, powerful. He wouldn't dare call a man's voice 'beautiful' but his was. He remembered how calming his voice was, when Joe sang whenever they had a break, before classes and on their way home.  


 

He didn't realize that his vision started to blur, that Joe's voice had the same effect on him, like nothing changed, and they're 16 again, young and free and nothing else mattered. He was surrounded by others. That he wished- wanted, to drag him from the crowds and hug him, lead him away, but he must follow the rules of social decorum.  


 

He couldn't do anything but stand against the wall, with his head leaning on John's shoulder unconsciously. John hesitated and looked at the shorter man fearfully, his reaction softened when he saw how his eyes were shining. John smiled and put his hand around Sergio's shoulder  


 

The blonde looked around the room until his eyes met Sergio's, he saw how the southern's smile faded and how his eyes winded, like Joe's. He smiled, with his eyes shining, he stopped playing on the guitar, pressing against the bridge of his nose, he chuckled lightly and started to play again but with his eyes closed that time.  


 

"Tell my friends, goodbye  
Tell my almost ex-wife that I loved her, and left her too soon"  


 

His voice rolled over in sorrowful waves, swells of power rose up in his throat, and his voice was almost the same, 13 years ago, but with much more pain and huskiness. He remembered the times he told Joe how good his voice was, but Joe never believed him. And Joe remembered the times Sergio brought CD's and albums from his dad's library and told him to keep them, so Joe can practice.  


 

Thirteen years ago, Joe and Sergio split, thirteen years after, they met.  


 

"Oh I hope to be holding you soon  
Who knows what happens if I leave my room  
Oh I’m scared that you’ll know what to do...  
If I’m to die before you"  


 

His hand went to his heart, where his fist nestled there and his head rose as he belted out the final notes. He didn’t realize how deep he went, until he met those eyes again. Hadn't realized where he reached, until he saw the same look from the person he missed.  
He went to him, smiling. Sergio looked up at him and John took his hand away from the shorter man's shoulder. He almost had drawn in his smile.  
"Kun?" the guitarist spoke, biting the tip of his lower lip.  


 

"Joe" he smiled at him and Joe smiled back, found himself hugging the shorter man, his arms surrounded his back, giving him a bone-crashing hug, he put his head on Sergio's shoulder, inhaling his scent and nuzzling his nose against his skin.  


 

"You bastard" Joe murmured.  


 

_____________

 

"We had a fight over a plastic car and we didn't talk since then"  


 

"That's why you two separated?" John's eyes winded.  


 

"No it was a gift I brought to Joe and I wanted it back before he and his family move to Shrewsbury, and I wanted my car back" Sergio said in embarrassment while the blonde poked his eyes on him. "And he always used to cry out about his voice! And I couldn't help but slap him on his head" Sergio exclaimed with a dismissive hand in the air. He told John how they met and how close they were, then Joe's family moved to Shrewsbury and since then, they never met.  


 

"What a cry baby I was! Terrible!" Joe covered his face with his palms and John chuckled.  


 

"Why Shrewsbury? i never knew"  


 

"Well, it's our hometown, apparently." Joe smiled to himself, he hadn't realized how much he missed him until he saw him again, his feelings toward Sergio grew alarmingly, and he didn't feel like he was exaggerating. So he wiped his glass with a sullen kind of anger and his face deadpanned.  


 

"And why did you move to Manchester?"  


 

"The weather" Joe scoffed, taking a sip from his brandy  


 

"Funny that" John raised an eyebrow and Sergio didn't quite get it.

Seconds later, a sound of shattering interrupted their conversation and the three men looked behind their shoulders. The bar-tender was definitely having a bad day, he dropped the glasses and it was just a mess. John stood up.  
"I'm helping him" he proclaimed, heading to the bar-tender with a desperate look on his face. His eyes were shimmering the moment he saw John coming to him and his mouth curved up in a fond smile.  


 

"It's nice to have a Manc chaperone eh?" Joe smiled offhandedly. Sergio was staring at the two unconsciously and he fastened a smile when Joe's hand nuzzled him.  


 

"He's my neighbor, and yeah a friend, he has a spellbinding personality" Sergio conveyed his sentiment to Joe, the other man smiled sheepishly  


 

"Oh, jealous me"  


 

"Shut up cry baby" he poked him lightly and Joe cried out.  


 

"Boss baby!"  


 

"still a baby"  


 

"Ouch" Joe faked a tear, wiping the corner of his eyes dramatically. "I missed you" he stated, boring his eyes to Sergio's.  


 

"I can't believe I'm saying this but me too" he chuckled, looking at his drink  


 

"Aren't you a paragon of a trashy friend?" Joe mocked, dangling dangerously from his chair, "I missed you man!" he said again with his arm surrounding Sergio's shoulder  


 

"Here he is, exaggerating" Sergio took a sip from his drink carelessly and rolled his eyes. Joe pulled a face at him and strained Sergio's chair towards him, "i poured my drink on my pants you sap!" he cried out  


 

"Stop scriking out for heaven's sake, and that's your piss don't make excuses" Joe chuckled sarcastically. "Ok I'm sorry!" he took out a tissue from his pocket and scrubbed fastidiously at the liquid stain, Sergio flushed and hesitated to take the tissue from Joe's hand but the blonde didn't seem to care.  


 

"Fuck off Joe what are you doing!" he hovered and Joe looked up at his face.  


 

"Cleaning you up?" Joe said, he noticed how red Sergio's cheek went. Comprehension dawned across Joe's features. "Oh... OH!" he fizzed a shot narrowly wide and Sergio grinned shyly at him.  


 

"It's ok, give me that" he spoke in a slight accent; Joe tightened his grip around the tissue and dragged his head down. "Joe?" Sergio nipped his hand and Joe shivered.  


 

"You know, when we get old and cold, our feelings change" his voice sounded like it had been lodged in the middle of his throat, Sergio blinked several times and a questionable expression dawned on his features. "The past years, I realized how stupid I was, and my stupidity drove me away from the people I used to care about" he stated and Sergio shook his head, not understanding what Joe meant. "I don't want to lose you again"  


 

"What are you talking about? How many drinks did y…"  


 

"I don't know get over it" he raised a dismissive hand in the air while holding his drink in the other.  


 

"Joe?"  


 

"I don't know"  


 

"Your drink is pouring on your pants"  


 

"Oh my…" he hovered, put his glass away and scrubbed his pants until Sergio's hand stopped him; he took the tissue gently from Joe's hand and rubbed the stain. Joe was speechless till the moment Sergio was finished.  


 

"It's almost gone" he threw the tissue on Joe's face; Joe smiled and couldn't resist but reach to Sergio's face and hold it. He surrounded his face with his palms and slowly, with every inch he passed, a flame radiated and an army of butterflies clapped their wings in his stomach. He liked that feeling, no harm if he got a little bit closer and closer. And Sergio, he froze on his chair from both fear and excitement, helplessly waiting for Joe's next move, until Joe could feel his friend's breath, there was no way back but kissing him, and so he did.  


 

He leant in, so his forehead rested against Sergio's and pressed their lips together. Sergio leant in and kissed Joe's warms lips back. They pulled apart and take shaky, shallow breaths. Unable to contain themselves anymore, Joe held Sergio's head in his hands and pulled him into a fiery and passionate kiss.  
Sergio wanted to pull away before he could lose himself but he couldn't. In that minty moment, his senses had been seduced and he couldn't think straight. Joe pulled away to take some air, It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. Joe's hand rested below Sergio's ear, his thumb caressing his cheek as their breaths mingled.  


 

"What did we just do" Sergio mumbled, with his eyes still closed. He gently punched Joe on his chest several times and Joe sighed  


 

"If I’m set upon dried, from my room as I write, you will be my last thought before I quit" he murmured mirthlessly  


 

"Good god" Sergio rolled his eyes  


 

"I'm sorry, told you that I missed you" Joe rolled his eyes; he couldn't see how Sergio reacted "I'm kidnapping you, would that be okay?" Sergio looked up fearfully and Joe couldn't help but chuckle, "you're as red as the devil's dick" he chuckled again and Sergio got up from his chair. "OK, fine I'm sorry, your place then eh? I want to have a serious conversation with you" he dragged him from his wrist and hugged him from the back  


 

"Not interested"  


 

"I'll buy you a car"  


 

"Deal."

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by [a very sad song](https://youtu.be/V3pwPgRwGmI)
> 
> alex! i had this in my mind today and i couldn't just give up on it, i know you like these two heh, hope you enjoyed it!  
> it's cheesy and fuck all i'm sorry, the only reason this is here is that i spent the whole day writing it and my eyes are bleeding  
> kudos are cure for eye-bleeding they said, try it and i'll tell you if it helps.


End file.
